#iwill

#iwill

Hashtags have become extraordinarily popular within the past 5 years. They’re used to publicise particular things or ‘spread the word’ on certain messages or encourage movements. One that caught my eye was #iwill.

#iwill is a national campaign which aims to make social action to be a part of many young people’s lives. Social action means taking steps in order to progress or change things that are wrong within our societies, it helps introduce new, innovative ideas and proceedings towards everyday life.

The core premise of this hashtag is to get young people involved within their communities, taking up actions like volunteer work for homeless shelter, litter picking, charity work and other practical matters in order to provide the UK a much more pleasant place to live and keep all the communities running in a much more efficient manner as well as develop the young into experienced adults.

Action approaches are a necessity in order for a clearer understanding of human behaviour; in order for these ideas and proceedings to happen. There are different types of social action which can be used, like: Traditional action, affectual action and value-rational action. Traditional action is action that is a habit, seasonal things like buying people gifts for Christmas and birthdays are related to this. Affectual action is when somebody expresses their actions emotionally, whether it be crying at a funeral or for a loved one on a hospital bed. Value-rational action is when one is taking action towards a goal, which could be committing at the gym to become a boxer or praying to get into heaven.

Tamela Friesen wrote a blog about how we can improve the quantity and quality of home care. She posted it on September 28th on her twitter +TamelaFriesenGPC. She wrote a list in her post about what she will do and what others can do to help along with her. The actions that she is taking are based in Canada, this shows how much the #iwill campaign has spread.

#iwill is being coordinated by the charity Step Up To Serve, governed by an independent board and has cross-party support. Their work has been referenced by the conservative party, Labour party and the Liberal Democrats. All of the parties said similar things like “We recognise that getting young people to take part in social action helps build important skills for adulthood and make the most of their energy and talents while also benefitting the wider community.” From Nick Clegg.

I believe that this is a brilliant way to get young people out into the real world, it can help them gain contacts, work experience, social interaction skills and encourage further generations to continue doing so. There is too much individualism in the UK currently. The entire community aspect is lacking and requires a jolted boost. Therefore a hashtag trend on social media relating to all of these problems is an efficient way to revitalise, and strive for greater, bigger communities as well as smaller ones. This can help effectively develop a further understanding into traditional and affectual human behaviour.